Family
by Akot
Summary: When it comes down it, only one Shindou can win. [One-shot]


"Family"  
By Akot  
  
Disclaimer: Gravitation belongs to Maki Murakami. I'm just playing in her sandbox :)  
  
Notes: Set pre-series, though it's not hideously important to know that. This was written for the drabbleme community on LJ - so if you've seen this before it's under my user name there.  
  
The television screen flashed a brilliant array of colours, the song's steady beat pulsing out of the speakers. It was early yet in the evening, but Maiko Shindou was settled comfortably on the worn family couch, a wireless phone cradled against her ear, listening intently to whatever was being said on the other end of the line.  
  
Maiko was content (if not truly happy) to spend the evening at home with music videos blaring on the television, junk food in front of her and good friends on the phone.  
  
Quite suddenly the door to the living room flew open and Shuichi literally skidded to a halt inside the room, the throw rug under his feet gaining a few wrinkles in exchange for his loss of momentum.  
  
"Maiko! Maiko!" he began, but he was quickly cut off when his sister brought up a dismissive hand, indicating he should be silent. It was a gesture he tended to obey without thinking, much to Hiro's amusement.  
  
"I'll have to call you back," she said into the phone, completely ignoring Shuichi. "My brother just got home, I have to deal with him. Bye."  
  
As she hung up, simultaneously turning the television off, Shuichi quivered on the spot, radiating indignance.  
  
"What do you mean 'I have to deal with him'?" he said, his voice bordering on whiny.  
  
Again Maiko raised her hand and again Shuichi fell silent.  
  
"Look, you obviously have something to say and I can't talk on the phone while I listen to you."  
  
Shuichi found himself rather caught by his younger sister's logic.  
  
"Well?" she prompted.  
  
Already at his usual disadvantage when dealing with his sister, Shuichi began.  
  
"Hiro lent me this cool new racing game - "  
  
"And now you want to steal the television so you can sit up all night to beat it?"  
  
Shuichi blinked, surprised, "Well, I do want to play… but, I mean, I guess I'll try not to stay on too… that is…"  
  
"Alright," Maiko said, interrupting him yet again as she stood up.  
  
Shuichi's face lit up and in a heartbeat he was across the room, yanking open the cabinet doors that kept the game system and all the gear that went with it inside. He had the game half-way out of its casing when Maiko spoke again.  
  
"One game," she said.  
  
Shuichi looked up sharply, the game dropping unnoticed to the floor as his face contorted into an expression of abject misery that might have made a difference with anyone else.  
  
"One game," she continued, "and if I win, I get to keep the television for the rest of the night. But, if you win, well, the room is yours."  
  
Shuichi's eyes lit up and a tiny grin slipped on Maiko's face.  
  
"You honestly think you can beat me?" she said.  
  
Shuichi's only reply was a challenging smile of his own.  
  
Turning back to the task at hand, Shuichi delicately placed the disk into the console, normally inattentive fingers paying careful attention that it went in just so and the television screen flickered to life once more. Animated versions of cities dances across the screen with even flashier cars ploughing down their empty streets at high speeds.  
  
They set about choosing details. She would drive a beat-up, puke-green Cadillac. Shuichi, a classic red race car. Paris was chosen as their meeting place in vs mode: it would be just the two of them on the course.  
  
When the checkered flag fell, Shuichi's car immediately spun out and Maiko made good on her lead.  
  
Not quite three short minutes later, tears were pouring down the older Shindou's face as he held the controller limply in both hands.  
  
"I… I…"  
  
"…was completely, absofuckinglutely trounced?" Maiko finished, with such smug superiority that Shuichi could imagine her licking cream off her non-existant whiskers.  
  
Shuichi sniffled pathetically.  
  
"You didn't have to laugh when I accidentally drove off the bridge."  
  
In reply, Maiko laughed and grabbed the controller from his hand, returning it to the cabinet with her own. 


End file.
